Microsoft Products Available in Volume Licensing
Introduction – Why Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs Matter
Microsoft’s portfolio spans desktop software, server applications, and cloud services.
For large organizations, volume licensing programs (such as the Enterprise Agreement, MPSA, and CSP) allow bulk purchasing of Microsoft products with discounted pricing and centralized management.
Knowing which products are available through these programs – and how each is licensed (per user, device, core, or subscription) – is critical for optimizing costs and avoiding overspending.
A clear understanding of Microsoft’s volume licensing catalog also lets you push back on upsells and bundles you don’t need.
This guide breaks down the major product categories (desktop, server, cloud, and specialized offerings) that you can license in volume.
We also include key strategies to help you negotiate flexible, cost-effective agreements that put your needs first.
Read more, Microsoft Volume Licensing Programs: How to Choose (and Negotiate) the Right Model for Your Enterprise.
Microsoft Desktop & Productivity Products in Volume Licensing
Microsoft 365 and Office Suites
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans (E3, E5, F3):
These subscription bundles include Office productivity apps, cloud services (Exchange Online email, Teams, OneDrive), and in the E3/E5 tiers, Windows 10/11 Enterprise OS and advanced security tools. E3 is the standard suite covering core needs; E5 is the top tier with advanced security, compliance, analytics, and voice features. F3 offers basic Office capabilities for frontline staff at a lower cost. All Microsoft 365 plans are licensed per user.
They can be procured via an Enterprise Agreement (often covering all users for a volume discount) or through the CSP program for flexible monthly licensing.
Office Perpetual Licensing:
If your organization prefers a one-time purchase over subscriptions, you can still buy Office as a perpetual license through volume programs like EA or MPSA.
For example, Office LTSC 2021 (the long-term support version of Office) is available as a device-based license that you own indefinitely. Perpetual Office won’t receive new feature updates (unlike Microsoft 365), but it can be cost-effective if you don’t need cloud-connected services.
Microsoft’s strategy is cloud-first, but volume licensing continues to offer perpetual Office options for those who want to own their Office software outright.
Windows OS & VDA Rights
Volume licensing for the Windows desktop OS provides upgrade licenses to Windows 10/11 Enterprise. (You must already have a base Windows license, such as Pro, on each PC.) Through an EA or MPSA, you can purchase an upgrade to the Enterprise edition – often paired with Software Assurance for ongoing version upgrades and support.
Microsoft also offers Windows Enterprise on a per-user subscription basis (for example, as part of Microsoft 365), allowing one user to cover multiple devices. This user-based licensing is useful for BYOD and remote work scenarios, as a single user license can activate Windows Enterprise across multiple devices.
With volume Windows licensing (especially with Software Assurance or a Windows E3/E5 subscription), you gain Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) rights. This means your licensed users can access a Windows client OS in virtual machines (whether on-premises servers or via Azure Virtual Desktop) from any device.
In short, volume licensing lets you standardize Windows Enterprise across all your PCs and also use your Windows licenses in virtual environments under Microsoft’s BYOD and cloud use policies.
Microsoft Server Products Available in Volume Licensing
Windows Server
Windows Server is licensed per processor core in volume licensing (with a minimum of 16 cores per server). Standard Edition allows a server to run up to two virtual machines (and requires user or device CALs for client access). At the same time, Datacenter Edition permits unlimited VMs on a fully licensed server (also with CAL requirements).
These server licenses can be acquired through EA or MPSA as perpetual licenses (you own them) or as subscription licenses for a fixed term.
Including Software Assurance with your Windows Server licenses provides benefits like future version upgrades and Azure Hybrid Benefit rights (so you can use your on-prem server licenses for VMs in Azure). Volume licensing makes it straightforward to license all your servers consistently and take advantage of bulk pricing.
SQL Server
SQL Server licensing in volume programs is available in two models: per-core or server and CAL. In the core model, you license all the CPU cores of the server (with a four-core minimum), which allows unlimited user connections – ideal for high-scale or public-facing applications.
The Server + CAL model (available for SQL Server Standard Edition) means buying a server license for each server and separate Client Access Licenses for each user or device accessing the database – a cost-effective approach for smaller, internal deployments with limited users.
Enterprise Edition is offered only on a per-core basis, whereas Standard Edition can be licensed via either method. You can obtain SQL Server licenses through EA or MPSA, and organizations often add Software Assurance to enable version upgrades, use license mobility for cloud deployments, and get failover server rights.
If you prefer not to buy SQL licenses outright, some volume programs (like CSP) even offer SQL Server on a subscription basis – but the licensing metrics (cores or CALs) remain the same.
Exchange, SharePoint, and Other Server Applications
They use a server plus CAL model: you purchase the server software license for each instance and the appropriate number of Client Access Licenses for the users or devices that will use the service.
Through an EA or MPSA, you can buy these licenses in the quantities you need for your environment. While many organizations now use cloud equivalents (like Exchange Online or SharePoint Online through Microsoft 365), volume licensing remains the way to license on-premises deployments or hybrid setups.
Be mindful to only purchase the CALs and server licenses you actually require – it’s easy to overestimate user counts in a big agreement and end up with unused (shelfware) licenses.
Microsoft Cloud Services in Volume Licensing Programs
Azure via Enterprise Agreement
Azure services can be included in an Enterprise Agreement by committing to a certain level of annual Azure spend. Under an EA, you agree to spend a set dollar amount on Azure over the term in exchange for discounted rates or credits.
This works well if you have predictable, significant Azure consumption you lock in bulk pricing but it requires accurate forecasting.
If you over-commit, you may pay for cloud budget you don’t fully use; if you under-commit, you’ll pay extra for any overage beyond your pre-paid amount.
For organizations that want more flexibility, Azure can also be procured through CSP on a pay-as-you-go basis with no long-term commitment (generally at standard pay-as-you-go rates). Pick the model that best fits your usage pattern to minimize waste and maximize savings.
Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance Add-Ons
Beyond the base Microsoft 365 plans, Microsoft sells many add-ons for extra security, compliance, or analytics.
For example, there are advanced security & compliance packages (similar to those in an E5 plan) and AI-driven tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot. These add-ons provide valuable capabilities but at a premium per-user cost.
The advantage of volume licensing is that you can assign them selectively. It’s usually best to buy add-on licenses only for the users or departments that truly need them, rather than upgrading everyone.
Being selective with add-ons allows you to gain the needed features without dramatically inflating your spend.
Specialized Microsoft Products in Volume Licensing
Dynamics 365
Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s cloud-based suite of CRM and ERP applications, available only as a subscription. You can include Dynamics 365 user licenses in an EA or buy them via CSP. Each module (Sales, Customer Service, Finance, etc.) is licensed on a per-user-per-month basis.
These licenses are among the most expensive in Microsoft’s catalog, so only subscribe to the specific modules your business needs.
Microsoft offers discounts if users need multiple Dynamics apps, but the cost remains significant. Be sure to negotiate Dynamics 365 pricing separately to get a fair deal on this high-value software.
Visual Studio & Developer Tools
Developer tools like Visual Studio can also be acquired through volume licensing.
Visual Studio subscriptions (Professional or Enterprise) are per-user licenses that give each developer the IDE and rights to Microsoft software for development/testing.
Just be sure to purchase subscriptions only for active developers to avoid paying for idle licenses.
Power Platform
Microsoft’s Power Platform – Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Automate – provides analytics and workflow tools that can be licensed through volume programs.
In general:
- Power BI: Analytics and reporting. The Pro license is per user, and for enterprise-scale BI, there’s Power BI Premium (typically licensed per capacity for organization-wide use).
- Power Apps: Low-code app builder. Licensed per user (one user can run unlimited custom apps) or per app (each app licensed for a set of users).
- Power Automate: Workflow automation (including RPA). Licensed per user (unlimited flows for that user) or per flow (for specific automated processes). Advanced scenarios, such as unattended RPA bots, require higher-tier Power Automate licensing.
When investing in Power Platform, focus on actual usage. It’s often better to license specific power users or teams (e.g., the analytics team for Power BI, or app developers for Power Apps) rather than every employee. You can always scale up at true-up if adoption expands.
Negotiation Strategies Across Microsoft Products
Consider these best practices when negotiating with Microsoft:
Bundle Smartly
Microsoft often grants bigger discounts when you bundle multiple products into one deal. Leverage this by consolidating purchases (e.g., putting Microsoft 365, Windows Server, and Azure under one EA) to increase your volume.
However, only bundle what you truly need – don’t pad the agreement with products you won’t use just to chase a higher discount. It’s better to pay slightly more for a lean, useful set of licenses than to get a huge discount on a bloated package that results in shelfware.
Benchmark Discounts by Product Family
Not every Microsoft product has the same discount potential.
Cloud services like Azure and Microsoft 365 generally have more room for negotiation than on-premises software. Plan accordingly: push for deeper discounts on big-ticket cloud and user licenses, and expect smaller concessions on items like standalone server licenses.
Use industry benchmarks or your past deals to judge if Microsoft’s offer is truly competitive for each product family.
Watch for Shelfware
Nothing wastes budget like paying for software that isn’t used – so-called shelfware. To avoid it, be conservative with upfront purchases. It’s safer to start with a lower license count and add more later as needed (Microsoft allows true-ups during an EA) because you generally cannot remove licenses mid-term.
Also, audit your usage regularly. If certain licenses or features aren’t being utilized, plan to reduce or reassign them at renewal.
Eliminating shelfware means every dollar is well-spent, and it strengthens your position in future negotiations (since Microsoft knows you won’t over-buy).
FAQ – Microsoft Products in Volume Licensing
Q1: Which Microsoft products are available under an EA?
A: Virtually all major Microsoft offerings. An Enterprise Agreement can cover Microsoft 365 (Office apps, Windows Enterprise, EMS), Azure services, Dynamics 365 modules, on-premises server software (Windows Server, SQL Server, Exchange, etc.), developer tools like Visual Studio, and more.
Q2: Can Azure be licensed in volume agreements?
A: Yes. Azure can be purchased through an Enterprise Agreement (with a committed annual spend for discounted rates) or via the CSP program (pay-as-you-go flexibility). Both routes are part of Microsoft’s volume licensing options for Azure.
Q3: Are perpetual licenses still included in Microsoft volume licensing?
A: Yes. Programs like EA and MPSA still allow one-time purchase (perpetual) licenses for products such as Windows, Office, and server software. You can buy these outright (often with Software Assurance for upgrades). Microsoft is promoting subscriptions, but perpetual licensing remains an option.
Q4: What server products are sold through MPSA?
A: Virtually all major server software – Windows Server, SQL Server, Exchange, SharePoint, etc. – can be acquired via MPSA as perpetual licenses (with optional SA). MPSA lets you buy the specific on-premises licenses you need without an enterprise-wide commitment.
Q5: How do Microsoft add-ons impact licensing costs?
A: They can increase costs significantly if deployed broadly. Extras like advanced security, compliance, or AI (e.g., Microsoft 365 Copilot) carry high per-user fees. To control spending, enable add-ons only for users who truly need the additional features.
